About four years have passed since the debut recording from the “Tumultuous Teutonic Templar Thrash” Metal group Jaldaboath. The Rise of the Heraldic Beasts offered something new for the fans ofFolk Metal, as well as those who enjoy some good old fashioned British humour along the lines of Monty Python and the like. After some touring and downtime, the trio of bassist Sir Bodrick (an obvious nod to the Black Addar series), drummer The Mad Monk, and Grand Master Jaldaboath (both being former members of The Meads of Asphodel) return with their latest opus of medieval shenanigans titled The Further Adventures… through Death to Music Records. But is this a suiting second chapter to the Jaldaboath troop, or is this adventure bungled from the very start?

The Further Adventures… offers a variety of serious Folk Metal performances laced with the band’s signature brand of fun light-hearted lyrics and atmospheres. “Roland the Farter” introduces some deep guitar riffs and harmonized chanting in the background at the start, and again towards the end. Most of the song, however, puts the focus on the trumpets from the keyboards, and the midi drums that make an uproarious experience as they drop all serious from the song. Meanwhile there’s “Warrior Monks of Whitehawk,” a Folk Metal performance played straight with the only upbeat elements being the minstrel flutes during the chorus, which only make it all the more infectious.

“The Wailing Witch of Moulsecoomb” is actually a parody of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, but the way it’s performed makes it work perfectly with the signature Jaldaboath approach. The same goes for what they have done to Iron Maiden‘s “Run to the Hills” on the “DEX The Whispering Dwarf.” It’s a solid, enjoyable rendition with a nice icy twist with a surprisingly Progressive keyboard solo about three-and-a-half minutes in. Sadly it doesn’t leave as memorable an impact as “The Wailing Witch of Moulsecoomb” outside the echoing conclusionary fart, or the sound effect that sounds like it. And then there’s “The J Team,” which takes on the theme to the television series The A-Team. It’s an interesting cover with a decent amount of heaviness to the guitars.

There are a few weaker areas to this album that should be addressed. “Raise the Crummhorns” is a fun track with some catchy material at times, but overall sounds a bit weak. The Jazz passage around three-and-a-half minutes in is a little out of place, but at least is transitioned in and out of well enough, and suits the oddball humour of the track. The chorus, finds the dual vocals off key with each other slightly, and while the music behind them is pretty heavy and hits the spot, the singing ends up giving it a bit of an unwanted amateurish trait. Finally there’s “Father Pig,” which sounds like something Gwar would have done during their mid-career days. Given it’s around the half with parodies, it wouldn’t be surprising if this is a cover. Sadly, it’s rather bland all around, and the light hearted lyrics are actually surprisingly time compared to the rest of the release.

The Further Adventures… isn’t the kind of album that will grab you right away. Instead, it will need some time to grow on you. But, if you’re a Jaldaboath fan, you’ll easily put the time and resources into hiring “The J-Team” once again. The original compositions stand out the most here, but the latter “covers” still offer varying levels of entertainment value, especially with “The Wailing Witch of Moulsecoomb.” Jaldaboath continue to provide the Metal soundtrack to all things Black Addar, continuing their quest to become the go-to band for those with a sense of humour.